Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Aspirations of American Youth: Implications for Military Recruitment

Recruiting an all-volunteer military is a formidable task. To successfully enlist one eligible recruit, the Army must contact approximately 120 young people. The National Research Council explores the various factors that will determine whether the military can realistically expect to recruit an adequate fighting force -- one that will meet its upcoming needs. It also assesses the military’s expected manpower needs and projects the numbers of youth who are likely to be available over the next 20 years to meet these needs. With clearly written text and useful graphics, Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Aspirations of American Youth offers an overview of important issues for military recruiters, touching on a number of important topics including: sex and race, education and aptitude, physical and moral attributes, and military life and working conditions. In addition, the book looks at how a potential recruit would approach the decision to enlist, considering personal, family, and social values, and the options for other employment or college. Building on the need to increase young Americans’ “propensity to enlist,†this book offers useful recommendations for increasing educational opportunities while in the service and for developing advertising strategies that include concepts of patriotism and duty to country. Of primary value to military policymakers, recruitment officers, and analysts, Attitudes, Aptitudes, and Aspirations of American Youth will also interest social scientists and policy makers interested in youth trends. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive Summary1. Introduction2. Military Manpower Requirements3. Demographic Trends4. Trends in Youth Qualifications and Enlistment Standards5. Trends in Employment and Educational Opportunities for Youth6. Youth Values, Attitudes, Perceptions, and Influencers7. Determinants of Intention or Propensity8. Military Advertising and Recruiting9. Conclusions and RecommendationsReferencesAppendix A: Letter Report: Evaluation of the Youth Attitude Tracking Study, YATSAppendix B: Letter Report: The Scientific Basis of the Popular Literature on GenerationsAppendix C: Biographical SketchesIndex